Rail anchorage provided with a resilient clamping element

ABSTRACT

An anchorage for a flanged rail having a base supporting a resilient clamping element having a part projecting beyond the base to locate over the flange of the rail has one or more ears integral with and extending from the base in the same direction as the projecting part, to extend above the rail flange. These ears engage with the rail flange if the rail is significantly distorted and thus limit the strain on the clamping element.

United States Patent Molyneux June 10, 1975 RAIL ANCHORAGE PROVIDED WITH A 2,378,590 6113:; inylder 3,028,099 4 l o yneux RESILIENT CLAMPING ELEMENT 3,558,060 l/l97l Crespo 238/349 George Molyneux, Gloucester, England Molyneux Rail Clips Limited, Gloucester, England Filed: Apr. 15, 1974 Appl. No.1 461,124

lnventor:

Assignee:

US. Cl 238/349; 238/292 Int. Cl EOlb 9/34 Field of Search 238/331, 341, 349, 338,

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Liebmann 238/282 Primary Examiner-M. Henson Wood, Jr Assistant Examiner-Richard A, Bertsch Attorney, Agent, or Firm--Young & Thompson [57] ABSTRACT 8 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures PATENTEDJUH I 0 1975 SHEET 1 lllll Fla. 2.

PATENTEDJUN I 0 I975 SHEET RAIL ANCHORAGE PROVIDED WITH A RESILIENT CLAMPING ELEMENT This invention is concerned with rail anchorages which incorporate a resilient clamping element which engages with a flange on the rail to hold the rail in position in a flexible manner. Quite often the rails supplied may have distortion defects in the form of a warp or twist so that a section of the rail may be raised above the normal level by as much as eleven-sixteenths of an inch in an 18 inch length. The clamping element is designed to act on the rail in the position it would normally attain if no distortion were present, and thus where such a defect occurs, the clamping element will be subjected to unusual stresses which could ultimately result in failure.

According to the invention, there is provided a flanged-rail anchorage comprising a base adapted to be mounted on or secured to a support at one side ofa rail, and a resilient clamping element supported by the base and having a part projecting beyond the base to locate over the flange of the rail, the base having an integral ear or cars extending in the same direction as the projecting part of the clamping element so as to be abie to extend over and engage with the rail flange if the rail is significantly warped or twisted.

The ear or ears on the base, reacting with the rail flange, limit the degree of distortion, and thus relieve the stress on the resilient clamping element.

In a preferred construction, the resilient clamping element is positioned between two ears on the base. Ideally, the ear or ears are inclined on the surface to engage the rail flange surface so as to correspond to the incline on the rail flange surface, and thus provide a good contact area.

It is also preferred that the base be adjustable relative to a mounting member so that the anchorage may be used with a variety of rails and clamping element arrangements.

In one form of the invention, the clamping element is held within the base and the projecting part thereof has a curved end directed to the rail flange surface position. In another form the projecting part of the clamping element is a loop of resilient metal and portions at either end of the loop are directed into engagement with the base. The base may employ other forms of resilient clamping elements where a degree of movement above the rail may be experienced, which could produce excess pressure on the element.

The invention may be performed in various ways, and preferred embodiments thereof will now be described, by way of illustration only, with reference to the ac companying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is an elevation looking along a track rail show ing a rail anchorage;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the anchorage shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is an end elevation showing part ofa rail and another form of rail anchorage; and

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the anchorage of FIG. 3.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, rigid members 1 having an inverted rectangular dish shape are adapted to rest on either side of a rail track support 2 and to bear, by one, 3, of its sides, against the side edge of the flange 4 of a track rail 5. The rigid member 1 is threaded. on a bolt 6 which projects upwards from the support to which it is held. Within the rigid member I is a resilient member 7 which projects laterally through an opening 8 in the rigid member, which opening is disposed adja cent the side 3 of this member which abuts against the track rail flange. The portion of the resilient member 7 which is disposed within the rigid member is, viewed in plan, rectangular in shape and this portion has a downwardly bent edge portion 9 which bears against the support 2 at a position adjacent the side [0 of the rigid member which is opposite to the side 3 which abuts against the rail flange. The portion 11 of the resilient member 7 which is disposed outside the rigid mem her is arched, the free foot 12 of the arch bearing down on the upper surface of the rail flange 4.

The resilient member 7 is threaded on the bolt 6 and a cam or eccentric 13 which is also threaded on the bolt 6 and which is disposed within a circular opening formed in the top wall 14 of the rigid member 1 so that rotation of the cam 13 will cause the rigid member to move towards or away from the track rail. Rotation of the cam 13 may be facilitated by providing the cam with a square or polygonal portion 15 adapted to be engaged by a spanner and disposed above the top of the rigid member. This portion 15 of the cam preferably rests on the upper surface of the rigid member 1. A nut 16 is screwed on the upper end of the bolt 6 which projects above the cam.

On either side of the opening 8 in the rigid member 1, there is provided an extension 17, forming an ear either side of the arched portion 11, which bears down on the surface of the flange 4 of the track rail only if the rail is buckled so that it is out of true. When the nut 16 is screwed down tightly, the resilient member holds the rail 5 against vertical movement, the cam having been previously set to adjust the lateral position of the rail and prevent it from further lateral movement in the direction of the bolt. If there is buckling of the rail, the ear extensions 17 will relieve the large stress which would otherwise be subjected on the resilient member 7.

In the example shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 the anchorage is designed to hold down the bottom flange 21 ofa conventional l-section track rail 20 onto a flat metal surface 22. The anchorage comprises a cast metal body or base 23 which is generally square in plan and has four short legs 24 one adjacent each corner to bear on the metal supporting surface. The base has a central circular aperture 25 which may be approximately 2 inches in diameter for example, and is designed to receive a rotary eccentric cam plug 26. This cam plug has a cylindrical portion 27 designed to fit loosely in the aperture 25 of the base and a projecting flange 28 at its upper edge which overlies the upper face of the base 23. The cam plug is formed with an eccentric vertical bore 30 approximately threefourths inch in diameter, designed to receive a screw-threaded bolt or stud 31. The lower end of the stud has a head 32 secured to the metal supporting surface 22, for example by welding, and the upper end projects above the flange 28 of the cam plug and is provided with a washer 33 and lock-nut 34. The periphery of the flange 28 on the cam plug is non-circular, for example octagonal, to allow it to be turned by a suitable tool. Since the stud 31 is fixed with respect to the supporting surface 22 it will be apparent that by turning the cam plug 26 the base 23 can be moved horizontally in an eccentric are about the fixed stud, i.e., towards and away from the track rail 20, and

3 clamped in any required position by tightening the lock-nut 34.

The two side edges of the base 23, which lie perpendicular to the length of the track rail 20, are each provided with overhanging lips or shoulders 35 which thus provide a pair of open grooves or channels running along the two sides of the base. A loop shaped spring clamping element is designed to be fitted into these grooves. The clamping element is formed from a continuous length of resilient steel bar having a central straight portion 36 designed to bear down vertically on the adjacent bottom flange 21 of the track rail 20, and two legs 37 which extend parallel with one another away from this central section over the top of the base 23, the free end of each leg being bent back in a curve 38 and ending in a lower straight limb or foot 39 extending towards the rail and engaged in one of the two grooves mentioned above.

The two grooves provided by the shoulders 35 are inclined inwardly towards each other as they approach the rail 20, as seen in plan in FIG. 4, and the two lower limbs 39 of the clamping spring are similarly inclined. This provides a resilient cam action resisting movement of the clamping spring in a direction away from the rail, and arranged also to increase the resilient downward clamping force exerted by the central section 36 if the clamping spring should be forced laterally to the right in FIG. 3. Alternatively or in addition the extreme end of each leg may be chamfered off and provided with a notch to co-operate with a locking notch at the front of the respective groove on the base, so as to retain the spring clamp in position. More simply the extreme end of each foot 39 may be slightly bent upwardly to locate with a complementary portion at the ends of the grooves formed by the shoulders 35, which in this case can be straight rather than inclined.

At a central position, at the side beyond which the resilient bar projects, there is formed an ear extension 40 of the base 23, which will locate over the flange 21 of the track rail and hold the rail down if any twisting or warping is present in the rail.

in assembling and adjusting the anchorage the base 23 is first positioned over the stud 31 and the cam plug 26 adjusted so that the front edge of the base bears against the edge of the track rail flange 21 to provide lateral location, and the central ear 40 is positioned over the rail. The locking nut 34 is then tightened up and if the rail is warped, the ear 40 will partially force the rail down in the region of the anchorage. The two free ends of the lower limbs 39 of the spring clamp are then offered up to the ends of the grooves 35, from the side remote from the track rail (i.e., the right in FIG. 3), and the clamp is driven into position by a hammer. When the straight central part 36 of the spring clamp engages the inclined flank surface of the track rail flange 21 further inward movement of the clamping element causes the looped part 38 to become stressed thus exerting a resilient downward force on the track rail. To remove the clamp the procedure is reversed.

This construction provides a compact adjustable anchorage in which the clamping element is of considerable length and therefore capable of resilient deformation to accommodate a variety of track rails of different sizes and shapes. Undue stresses on the clamping element, due to warped or twisted rails are avoided by providing the car 40 which takes up the additional stresses. The resilient clamping effect is self-adjusting as explained above. The same base can also be used with clamping elements of different shapes to further widen the range of application.

I claim:

1. A flanged-rail anchorage, for securin to a support at one side of a rail having a flange, comprising a base adapted to be secured to the support, a resilient clamping element held by the base, a part of said element projecting beyond the base and having a lower surface to locate over and in contact with the flange of the rail, and an integral ear on said base extending on either side and in the same direction as the projecting part of said element, each ear having a lower surface positioned above the lower surface of said projecting part, so as to be able to extend over and only to engage with the rail flange if the rail is significantly distorted, so as to prevent excessive stress being applied to said clamping element.

2. An anchorage according to claim 1 wherein each car has a face to engage the rail flange surface, which face is inclined so as to correspond to the incline on the rail flange surface.

3. An anchorage according to claim 1 provided with a mounting member for securement to the support and wherein adjustment means is provided whereby the base is adjustable relative to said mounting member.

4. An anchorage according to claim 1 wherein said element is held within said base and said projecting part of said element has a curved end directed to the rail flange surface position.

5. An anchorage according to claim 1 wherein said projecting part of said element is a loop of resilient metal and portions are provided at either end of said loop which are directed into engagement with said base.

6. A flanged-rail anchorage, for securing to a support at one side of a rail having a flange, comprising a base adapted to be secured to the support, a resilient clamping element held by the base, a part of said element in the form of a loop of resilient metal projecting beyond the base, a central portion of said loop having a lower edge to locate over and in contact with the flange of the rail, side portions provided at either end of said loop which are directed into engagement with said base, and an integral ear on said base extending between said loop side portions in the same direction as the projecting part of said element, the ear having a lower surface positioned above the lower surface positioned above the lower surface of said loop lower edge so as to be able to extend over and only to engage with the rail flange if the rail is significantly distorted, so as to prevent excessive stress being applied to said clamping element.

7. An anchorage according to claim 6 wherein the ear has a face to engage the rail flange surface, which face is inclined so as to correspond to the incline on th rail flange surface.

8. An anchorage according to claim 6 provided with a mounting member for securement of the base to the support and wherein adjustment means is provided whereby the base is adjustable relative to said mounting member. 

1. A flanged-rail anchorage, for securing to a support at one side of a rail having a flange, comprising a base adapted to be secured to the support, a resilient clamping element held by the base, a part of said element projecting beyond the base and having a lower surface to locate over and in contact with the flange of the rail, and an integral ear on said base extending on either side and in the same direction as the projecting part of said element, each ear having a lower surface positioned above the lower surface of said projecting part, so as to Be able to extend over and only to engage with the rail flange if the rail is significantly distorted, so as to prevent excessive stress being applied to said clamping element.
 2. An anchorage according to claim 1 wherein each ear has a face to engage the rail flange surface, which face is inclined so as to correspond to the incline on the rail flange surface.
 3. An anchorage according to claim 1 provided with a mounting member for securement to the support and wherein adjustment means is provided whereby the base is adjustable relative to said mounting member.
 4. An anchorage according to claim 1 wherein said element is held within said base and said projecting part of said element has a curved end directed to the rail flange surface position.
 5. An anchorage according to claim 1 wherein said projecting part of said element is a loop of resilient metal and portions are provided at either end of said loop which are directed into engagement with said base.
 6. A flanged-rail anchorage, for securing to a support at one side of a rail having a flange, comprising a base adapted to be secured to the support, a resilient clamping element held by the base, a part of said element in the form of a loop of resilient metal projecting beyond the base, a central portion of said loop having a lower edge to locate over and in contact with the flange of the rail, side portions provided at either end of said loop which are directed into engagement with said base, and an integral ear on said base extending between said loop side portions in the same direction as the projecting part of said element, the ear having a lower surface positioned above the lower surface positioned above the lower surface of said loop lower edge so as to be able to extend over and only to engage with the rail flange if the rail is significantly distorted, so as to prevent excessive stress being applied to said clamping element.
 7. An anchorage according to claim 6 wherein the ear has a face to engage the rail flange surface, which face is inclined so as to correspond to the incline on th rail flange surface.
 8. An anchorage according to claim 6 provided with a mounting member for securement of the base to the support and wherein adjustment means is provided whereby the base is adjustable relative to said mounting member. 